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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24524305">One Piece of Summer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NakuNakuNoMi/pseuds/NakuNakuNoMi'>NakuNakuNoMi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bonfire, Carnival, Cat, Cuddles, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fireworks, Flowers, Fluff, Fluffy Humor, Humor, Ice Cream, Kisses, Modern AU, Pregnancy, Pregnancy annoucement, Romance, SO FLUFFY, Seagulls - Freeform, Seashells, Softness, Still Fluffy, Sunburn, Sunscreen, Sunsets, Swearing, Sweet, Tumblr Challenge, all SFW, anger boifrend, argument, challenge, collection of oneshots, cooling down a kitty, cw: pregnancy, fluffy nonsense, happy endings, heat - Freeform, mochi man, sandcastle, slightly angsty beginning, summer challenge, summer themes, tw: pregnancy, we need some sfw wholesomeness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:55:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,846</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24524305</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NakuNakuNoMi/pseuds/NakuNakuNoMi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A challenge hosted by Doctorgerth and Laws-yellow-Submarine on Tumblr. <br/>I'll participate 11 weeks. 11 prompts and 11 characters to have reader inserts with. All relatively fluffy and summer-themed. <br/>Tags and pairings will be updated as characters are added. Various lengths of chapters.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Original Character(s), Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Original Female Character(s), Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Reader, Charlotte Katakuri &amp; Reader, Charlotte Katakuri/Original Character(s), Charlotte Katakuri/Original Female Character(s), Charlotte Katakuri/Reader, Crocodile (One Piece)/Original Character(s), Crocodile (One Piece)/Original Female Character(s), Crocodile (One Piece)/Reader, Crocodile (One Piece)/You, Dracule Mihawk/Original Female Character(s), Dracule Mihawk/Reader, Eustass Kid &amp; Reader, Eustass Kid/Original Character(s), Eustass Kid/Original Female Character(s), Eustass Kid/Reader, Fushicho Marco | Phoenix Marco/Sabo/Original Male Character(s), Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Original Female Character(s), Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Reader, Killer (One Piece)/Original Character(s), Killer (One Piece)/Reader, Portgas D. Ace/Original Female Character(s), Portgas D. Ace/Reader, Rob Lucci &amp; Reader, Rob Lucci/Original Character(s), Rob Lucci/You, Roronoa Zoro/Original Character(s), Roronoa Zoro/Reader, Trafalgar D. Water Law &amp; Reader, Trafalgar D. Water Law/Original Character(s), Trafalgar D. Water Law/Original Female Character(s), Trafalgar D. Water Law/Reader, Trafalgar D. Water Law/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>275</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. "told you so" - Killer x Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>First one! <br/>Prompt: Sunburn - Character: Killer - Word count: 1.4k<br/>Reader wants to bask in the sun, but thinks she doesn't need sunscreen...</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peace and quiet. Something that you rarely had experienced since joining the Kid Pirates. The closest you came was bedtime, if you were lucky enough that Kid had locked himself up in his workplace again. Other than that? There was always some kind of ruckus: whether it was crew members training, having loud discussions, fights, there was always something to do. </p><p>Even at night, when the lights were out and you were curled up on your boyfriend's chest, it was rare to actually sleep through the night together, Kid or someone else banging on the first mates’ door. Killer was always needed somewhere. </p><p>If some private couple’s time was something you wouldn’t get, then at least you wanted to make sure to have some quality time with yourself. </p><p>It had been a grey summer: humid heat accompanied by rainstorms. Once you had dared complain about it, only to have Kid tell you to “get the fuck off of his ship if you don’t like the places we’re going”. </p><p>Today, however, the weather was extremely nice, probably because you were getting close to the next island. You knew the moment you’d dock on the island, there would be so much to do, Kid wanting to loot and starting fights everywhere, that sleeping would not really be an option, let alone have some quality time. So you decided to make the most of this sunny day. </p><p>Putting on a bikini, you grabbed a towel and a book and made your way to a secluded spot on the deck. Some sunbathing and a nice read would be enough to make you feel relaxed and all ready for the chaos and sleepless nights that were undoubtedly about to come in a few days. You did your best to ignore the remarks and wolf whistles of the crew as you walked on deck in your bikini, already used to their antics. </p><p>You only stopped in your tracks as a big hand wrapped around your upper arm, effectively stopping you from walking.<br/>“What are you going to do y/n?” You turned around, coming face to chest with your masked boyfriend. He sounded more amused than anything, head tilted slightly to add to his questioning tone. </p><p><em>“Sunbathing, the one day the sun is up and we’re not expected to kill people”<br/>“Like that?”<br/>“Well yeah, don’t expect me to put on a sweater”</em><br/>He chuckled, shaking his head a little. <br/><em>“Just meant you should probably put on some sunscreen,”</em> he nodded upwards toward the sun, which was shining brightly, <em>“I know it feels nice and all, but she’s definitely out there to burn some people”. </em><br/><em>“Don’t worry babe, I never burn, promise. But I’ll check regularly in a spot in the shade okay?” </em><br/>He seemed satisfied with that answer, nodding before pulling you in for a quick hug. You stood up on your tiptoes in order to give him a quick kiss on his mask, and then on his neck before you were on your way again, happily humming as you laid out your towel on a sunny secluded spot on the deck a little while later. </p><p>You laid down with your book, the sun pleasantly warm, not even burning as hard as Killer had said. But you knew these little protective acts were his way of saying he loved you, those actual words hardly ever leaving his lips. And you liked it when he showed concern like that, it was a pleasant change from most of the others in the crew, especially your captain. </p><p>You flipped through the pages, reading a little, changing positions regularly and checking for sunburn, just to be safe, before eventually laying down on your stomach undoing the string of your top, trying to get that nice even tan on your back. So far nobody had interrupted you, and you suspected you boyfriend may have had something to do with that. You made a mental note to thank him later.  You laid your head down on your arms and closed your eyes for a minute, enjoying the soft warmness of the sun rays on your back. </p><p>---</p><p>You woke up to someone extremely gently nudging your side. You nearly jumped up before a couple of realizations hit you: one, you probably shouldn’t get up with your top strap still undone. Two, it was dark outside, you really fell asleep. Three, sitting up hurt like a bitch, as if your whole back was on fire.</p><p>Killer had been right, and was now the person nudging you awake. ‘<br/><em>“I told you so y/n, you’d be burned... your back is about as red as the captain's hair”</em> he wanted to sound amused or even teasing, but all that was overshadowed by the worry in his voice. <br/>“S<em>hut up please, just tie the strings so I can get up?” </em><br/>Killer complied, you flinching as he very loosely tied your top, every little movement of the strings on your skin feeling as if someone was pushing a thousand tiny needles in your back. </p><p><em>“do we have something that helps with this?”</em><br/>Killer shrugged, genuinely not knowing. The Kid pirates weren’t exactly known for their excellent first aid, shrugging off and toughening out any and all non-lethal wounds. <br/><em>“I’ll see what I can find” </em></p><p>The walk back to your shared room was excruciating. Now that the drowsiness from your sleep was wearing off, you were starting to realize just how much your skin hurt, but also how much your head was pounding, how dry your lips were, and how unsteady you were as you made your way over to the first mates’ cabin. Killer noticed how much you were wobbling, instinctively wrapping an arm around your waist, and retracting immediately as you hissed painfully. </p><p>You grabbed onto his arm to steady yourself instead, and you wanted to drop yourself onto the bed and pass out again, but stopped yourself just in time. You didn’t want anything in contact with your skin right now, not even the light blankets of your shared bed, and you realized that you should probably drink some water or something too. Killer had come to the same conclusion and instructed you to just stay where you were. As if you were gonna go anywhere, you thought to yourself, you were too busy focusing on not passing out. </p><p>It seemed like an eternity before the door opened again, Killer holding the crew’s first aid kit in his hands as well as a bottle of water. You eagerly gulped the water down, instantly feeling a little better. The pain was still more than present as well as the dull pounding in your head. </p><p>
  <em>“This is what Kid uses if he burns himself while welding his stuff. It may not be ideal bu-”<br/>“Whatever it is, just use it, babe, it cannot be worse than this burn” </em>
</p><p>Oh, how wrong you were. Neither of you had any idea of what was in the mysterious - and slightly dirty looking- spray bottle, but it stung so hard, you actually yelped the first time killer sprayed. <br/><em>“HOLY SHIT THAT HURTS” </em><br/>Killer really had to do his best to hold back another ‘told you so’ as he sprayed a couple more times, you cursing under your breath every single time. </p><p>Then he very gently worked in the stuff whatever it may be. His hands were pleasantly cold, he had been smart enough to wash them with cold water beforehand as he massaged in the spray bottle concoction as softly as he could. Gentle usually wasn’t in Killer’s vocabulary, but you noticed he did his absolute best to make sure you weren’t in too much extra pain. </p><p>While you waited for the product to dry into your skin, he got another bottle of water and afterwards he helped you put on one of his shirts, since they were way too big for you, and thus it wouldn’t cling to your skin like your own clothes did. You sighed happily as you noticed that it smelled just like him too, momentarily forgetting that your back was still positively burning. </p><p><em>“I have a late evening of work to prepare for our encounters on the next island. But it’s better for you do sleep alone, that way I won’t touch your back”.</em> <br/>You knew damn well that he was probably just making sure you were comfortable, but nodded without saying anything. He stood up, made his way to the door. <br/><em>“y/n?”<br/>“yes?” <br/>“Next time, maybe don’t be stubborn and listen to me when I say something will hurt”<br/>“Oh shut up”</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The chase - Zoro x reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: Seagulls - Character: Zoro - Word count: 1.5k </p><p>Zoro and you wanted a peaceful date. Just the one.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Part 2 of the summer challenge. This one was inspired by the tweet of a lady that caught a hawk diving for her chickens. I am thoroughly enjoying writing these, I hope you all like reading them. Originally published on Tumblr.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p>The Sunny was docked on a nice island and Nami had used her trustworthy straws to decide who was going to do what in terms of chores. Sanji volunteered to get food supplies, which everyone approved of, and the straws decided Luffy and Chopper would come along. Franky, Brook, and Robin were appointed to stay and watch the Sunny, which meant Zoro, Nami, Usopp and you could explore the island a little. You cheered inwardly, this meant you could have an actual date with Zoro that wasn’t ‘let’s take a nap together and cuddle’, however nice those moments were, you wanted to actually DO something together. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The moment you left the Ship, Nami was on her way to the stores, dragging a complaining Usopp behind her, someone had to carry her shopping bags after all. You just grabbed your green-haired boyfriend by the hand, knowing that if you didn’t do so, he’d wander off alone and the date would be ruined, and made your way towards the center of the village, seeing if there were some nice things for the two of you to do or see. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Luck seemed to be on your side, as there was an entire summer market set up, full of handmade artisan goods as well as plenty of food stalls with local dishes. Now Zoro wasn’t as big a glutton as your captain, but he definitely wouldn’t say no to some snacks, especially not after he spotted a stand with local liquors to accompany your food. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>A plan was quickly made: you both got around all the food stalls, taking small portions of all the things that seemed tasty, which was nearly all of them, and then some bottles of liquor you had never tried before. Both your arms full of bags, you made your way to the beach, deciding that a romantic picnic under the sun would be a good idea for the both of you. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The beach was empty, even though it was nearly perfect weather. The sun stood high in the sky, shining brightly, but not too harshly, and the water was blue and clean. The beach itself had very soft, nearly white sand, that wasn’t too hot, at least, that was if you took a spot that was in the shade. Seagulls were circling above the beach and the ships that were docked a little far away, with some of the birds walking on the beach in search for some lost food. It seemed like most people were at the market, making it easy for you to find a secluded spot in the shade, where you would be able to eat, share some kisses, drinks and cuddles. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The two of you sat down, tasting the food, playfully feeding each other, testing some of the liquor and deciding that your absolute favorite of the local snacks were some kind of tiny dough balls, filled with various savory fillings. Every single one of them was an adventure, because the fillings were a mystery and Zoro and you decided to keep your favorite out of all the drinks together with these dough balls for last, just so you could slowly enjoy them to the fullest. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>A little over an hour later, nearly all snacks were gone so you grabbed the leftover dough balls, nudging your green haired boyfriend.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>“Okay, open up” </em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He rolled his eyes, as he always did when you ordered him around, but complied nonetheless. You were about to feed him one of the snacks, when a seagull suddenly dove down, almost like a hawk, and picked the snack right out of your hand. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>“Hey! Stupid Chicken! Give that back!” </em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Zoro could only snicker as you yelled at the seagull, now flying away with the dough ball in its beak,and you looked back at him, pouting. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>“I’m sorry”</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>“don’t be sorry, there’s still plenty of the things. The stupid bird can have one”</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>You giggled softly, grabbing another dough ball and tried feeding it to Zoro. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Again, a seagull dove down, imitating the previous one, snatching the delicious ball out of your hands again, this time followed by a bunch of others, stealing all the leftover snacks you had. Zoro angrily swatted at the annoying birds, while you yelped out in surprise, getting a few scratches from some overeager beaks and claws. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It was all over in a few seconds, and the moment the chaos ebbed away, the both of you noticed one seagull a few metres away from where you were sitting, still shocked from what just had happened. The seagull was holding one of the dough balls in its beak, almost as if it were taunting you. The relaxed attitude Zoro had only a couple of minutes ago was now completely gone as he gritted his teeth in anger, all his chagrin aimed at the bird who was still staring at the two of you, as if it was waiting to see what you were going to do. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Zoro wasn’t one for elaborate dates, but man, he was having some relaxed fun with his girlfriend, without the constant noise of the crew around, and he’d be lying if he didn’t say that he didn’t enjoy it. He’d be damned if he let some stupid birds ruin the day, and instead of shooing away the bird,like any reasonable person would do, his instincts were faster than his brain, and he charged at it. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The seagull was a little faster, flying away, but instead of flying to the sea, it made way for the village, and Zoro just ran after it. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>You blinked. Once, twice, before you realized what just happened. Zoro, your boyfriend whose inner compass was basically a straw duct taped onto a stale cookie, ran into a city you’ve only been too once before about 2 hours ago, and he was all by himself. He was going to get so lost. You gathered your stuff and started to run in the general direction of where he had gone off to, hoping you’d spot his green hair among the crowd soon. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The market was still ongoing, the crowds making it harder for you to quickly make your way through the streets. No sign of your boyfriend either. You crossed the main town square, past the market, and tried some different streets, but to no avail. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>You were about to give up when you suddenly heard “<em>got you, you stupid feathered bastard. This shall learn you to ruin my date. Maybe I’ll give you to that perverted cook, he’ll make some nice chicken nuggets out of you”</em>. You looked up, the sound came from above, and lo and behold, there was your boyfriend, standing on top of a roof, holding a very confused seagull in two hands. The bird was not even struggling, probably wondering how it was even possible that a human plucked him out of the air. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>“Zoro?! How did you get up there?” </em>Zoro seemed just as surprised to see and hear you as you had been to spot him. He jumped down from the roof, right in front of you, still holding the bird, who was now looking at you. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>“I got the bastard that ruined our date”.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>H</em>e held up the seagull proudly for you to see. You just giggled in response. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>“What are you gonna do with him? He looks confused... too skinny to make ‘chicken nuggets’ out of as well”</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Zoro looked at you a little embarrassedly before grinning. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>“Well... I did show him”</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>“Yes babe, you showed a poor seagull that you were stronger” </em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>At this point, you were full-on laughing. With how strong and badass your lover was, you sometimes forgot he could also be a complete dork. And an impulsive one at that. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>“I think he has learned his lesson”,</em> you said, gesturing at the bird. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“<em>yeah...”</em>. Zoro let go of the seagull and it flew away immediately, determined to get away from these strange, strong humans. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>“Let’s get back to the ship, we were only meant to go out for a little while and I don’t want anyone to get worried about us.” </em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Zoro nodded in agreement and took your hand. He didn’t make a move though, waiting for you to lead the way as you always did whenever you two were in unknown terrain. If he lead the way, you wouldn’t be back on the sunny before nightfall. There was only one little problem. With you frantically looking for him, you had not paid attention to which streets you wandered into at all. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>“I have no idea where we are”</em>, you admitted, looking around to see if there was any spot you recognized from earlier. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>“No worries, then I’ll lead the way”, </em>Zoro said confidently before he started walking. Only 2 thoughts went through your head at that moment: Shit. It was gonna take a while to get back. And two, more quality time. Thank you stupid chicken. You softly squeezed his hand as you walked along with a smile on your face. Worst case, the crew would come to look for the two of you. Until then, you’d enjoy your date for just a little while longer. </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Bonfire - Ace x Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: Bonfire - Character: Ace - Word count: 1.3k - Posted on Tumblr as well.<br/>Ace and you wanted a break. The townsfolk weren't too eager to give you one.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Being a couple with a commander of the Whitebeard pirates wasn’t always easy. Ace was busy a lot of the time, and while he did his utmost best to make some time for you, it just wasn’t always possible. Whenever everyone was on the ship, you’d have some downtime in between the usual chores, but it got harder when Ace brought out the striker to go on a mission to some nearby island, and you had to stay behind, just because he knew he’d be distracted by your wonderful presence, and sometimes his missions were dangerous. Didn’t matter that you were a pirate too, and a pretty strong one at that, he was very protective of you and didn’t want you coming along most of the time. </p><p>Every now and then he’d make an exception, and those were some of the best days of your life. No teasing from the crew, some privacy, making your own rules and schedule as much as the mission allowed it, it was amazing.</p><p>Today was another one of those days. Marco needed some specific herbs for the infirmary, and Whitebeard himself had requested some other goods that were only available at this one island. Ace had volunteered to go get them, that way the ship wouldn’t have to go off course for supplies that could be gathered in a matter of hours. The mission seemed easy and safe enough, so Ace asked if you wanted to come along. You grabbed your bag as if it wasn’t already packed and waiting for the next adventure with your freckled boyfriend.</p><p>You loved the trips to the island, your arms wrapped around your boyfriend’s warm and strong torso as he steered the striker in the right directions, sometimes accelerating or making a quick turn, making your stomach flip in a good way, as if you were on a roller coaster, laughing and giggling as you held on tighter and leaned against his back. The wind played with your hair. It was a beautiful summer day, and nothing could spoil this trip, even though it had barely started. </p><p>The feeling didn’t last that long unfortunately. The two of you had only just arrived at the island, and everywhere you went there were hard stares, women taking their children away, and doors getting slammed shut. Truth be told, you hadn’t really done your research and neither you or Ace had taken the trouble to cover up your tattoos -too hot for a shirt, Ace had said, and yours was generally visible unless you covered up completely- and thus your arrival wasn’t really welcomed by the inhabitants of this island, two pirates were two too many.</p><p>You pouted as you walked the street hand in hand. Ace, polite as he was, had tried introducing the two of you and had tried explaining you meant no harm. You just wanted the herbs and goods, a nice meal for the evening and a place to sleep, and then you’d be on your way again. Of course, these people were way to distrusting of pirates to be swayed by your boyfriends polite smiles and bows, and you were growing increasingly frustrated. </p><p>“Ace~”, you whined, “at this pace were not even going to get the stuff we need”.<br/>
“I know, I know...” Ace squeezed your hand reassuringly. He sounded confident, but his smile had been faltering. He too wanted to enjoy a day off with you, but his duties still came first, and he was slowly losing hope of the mission going as smoothly as planned. He was getting tired of walking around streets that grew empty the moment the two of you got within line of sight, and even more tired of doors slamming in your faces, or not even opening at all. The last thing he wanted to do was resort to violence. It was not necessary, and he wasn’t going to give Pops a bad name by doing so. </p><p>Eventually, after a lot of bargaining, you managed to get the most necessary supplies, but it was getting dark, and hopes of decent dinner as well as a nice bed to sleep in were getting smaller and smaller. </p><p>“We can go back to the ship?” </p><p>You could only pout in response. Not only would that ruin the whole trip, but you weren’t too keen on riding the striker in the middle of the night, the endless sea looking a lot more intimidating. Besides, Ace hadn’t fallen asleep for a while and it would be dangerous if he got a bout of narcolepsy while getting the two of you back. You relayed those thoughts to him, and he seemed to overthink them for a bit, eventually concluding that you were right. </p><p>“Okay... camping on the beach it is?”</p><p>You nodded. It wouldn’t be ideal, but you’ve had worse sleeping conditions. You managed to get a little bit of food from a shopkeeper that was too intimidated to show you guys the door, and then made your way over to the beach. It was dark now, and the warmth of the sun that had been so prominent throughout the day was now completely gone. You shuddered. </p><p>“Are you cold babe?”<br/>
“A little”, you said as you grabbed onto his arm and nuzzled his shoulder. “Good thing I am dating a man made of fire”<br/>
He chuckled in response, and playfully moved away from you for a bit.<br/>
“I’ll make us a nice bonfire”<br/>
You stuck your tongue out at him, very well knowing that he could make a thousand fires and you’d still snuggle close tonight, but you indulged his teasing now.</p><p>You were no strangers to camping, and within little time you had made a small shelter, Ace had made the fire, and the both of you had made yourself comfortable, eating the food you had gotten earlier. It was not much, but enough to calm the raging appetite your boyfriend usually had for a little while. You leaned against him, his arm around your shoulder keeping you close as you stared into the fire. The dancing of flames always mesmerized you, and it amused Ace, he loved seeing the flames cast different shade patterns on your face and his heart always thumped a little harder when he saw your perfect smile and sparkling eyes while you sat there with childlike amazement every single time you saw fire. </p><p>He could only enjoy the view for a short while, because he felt his muscles give in and before he could even say something, his head had fallen forward, and if it were not for your support, his entire body, as another narcolepsy attack came over him. You laid him down carefully, made sure his neck was properly positioned, and laid down next to him, snuggling close, and tracing the freckles on his shoulders as you yawned. </p><p>It was still kind of cold, but the heat of the fire, combined with Ace’s always high body temperature had made the goosebumps on your skin disappear and you were pretty sure that soon you would be perfectly fine temperature wise, and you felt your eyelids growing heavy. Seeing as it was late, and you’d probably head back first time in the morning -no use trying to have a day out in a place where you were not welcome- Ace would probably sleep through the night, and you decided to get some sleep as well. </p><p>You propped yourself up on one arm, and did your usual evening routine, something you did no matter Ace’s state. A kiss to his left cheek, a kiss to his right, a kiss on his nose, and finally one on his lips. A lazy smile formed on his, but he did not wake up as you whispered goodnight. </p><p>Not the worst trip you had been on.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A break - Mihawk x Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuraigana Island wasn't exactly the most summery place, and you were in need of a break from all the grey. <br/>Prompt: Flowers - Character: Mihawk - Word count: 2.3k</p>
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    <p>It was summer. And yet. There was not a glimmer of the sun to be seen. You looked out of the window: dead trees, some not so dead trees, a dark grey sky filled with thick clouds in the middle of the day... it was quite a depressive sight. Kuraigana island wasn’t really the most beautiful island. It was calm, surely, it was quiet, and you and your husband were never interrupted by other people, which was amazing, you had all the privacy and quality time you could ever ask for. But sometimes, you just really wanted something else than grey to look over whenever you were having a bad day. </p>
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  <p><em>“Something wrong love?</em>” a strong arm wrapped around your waist from behind, and you inhaled the familiar and comforting scent of your other half. You must’ve been staring out of the window for a longer period than you thought you did.  <em>“No”, </em>you sighed<em>, “it’s just...” </em> He didn’t reply, waiting for you to continue what you wanted to say.  <em>“It’s just...summer outside, but there is never summer on this island? Don’t get me wrong love, I love this place and all the opportunities it’s given us, but... sometimes I miss the sun, the green grass... flowers... all the bright things from... home.” </em></p>
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  <p>At the end of your sentence, you had gone a little more quiet, not wanting Mihawk to think that you did not consider Kuraigana home. After all, home to you now was wherever he was, and wherever you could be with him. But that didn’t take away from your statement that you missed the feeling of warm sun on your skin, of the grass tickling at your ankles and the smell of flowers when they started to bloom in spring, all the way into summer. </p>
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  <p>He hummed in response, not really engaging in the conversation about his gloomy island. He was well aware of the atmosphere that came with it, but was never really bothered by it. He had seen plenty of the world in his younger years, and could still go wherever he wanted if he wanted to do so, he just hadn’t really thought about the possible effects of his living space on you, his wife. </p>
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  <p>You decided to change topic before he could even add onto the conversation, turning around in his arms and giving him a quick kiss on the lips.  <em>“My turn to make dinner right? Give me a few moments”. </em> You started making your way to the kitchen hearing familiar footsteps follow you.  <em>“I will help”. </em></p>
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  <p>Taking turns to cook dinner, occasionally cooking together, and always eating together was part of your routine, and it was one of the things that helped you settle in so easily with Mihawk. He was a man of routine and predictability. Something not everyone would appreciate that much, but for you, it brought peace of mind and way less stress. No surprises to anticipate, nothing to worry about. So as you started to chop some vegetables and Mihawk started to cook some meat, the worries from before started slipping from your mind, too focused on how happy you actually were right here, as long as he was by your side. </p>
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  <p>After dinner you continued your usual routine, drinking some wine and enjoying a good book in each other’s company before you retreated to your shared bedroom. Mihawk stayed up a little longer but promised to join you a little later. </p>
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  <p>You had fallen asleep before he joined you, and when you woke up, much to your dismay, you found yourself alone in the bed. You were a little surprised, it was not unusual for Mihawk to be up earlier, but he’d normally bring a book and read some until you woke up so you could cuddle up a little. The very rare occasion he’d be up earlier, he usually let you know beforehand. </p>
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  <p>You got up and got dressed, looking for your husband in the kitchen, the dining room, the library, his study... he was nowhere to be seen. You were almost getting worried when you suddenly heard the familiar heavy noise of the front doors opening and closing. There he was, all decked out in his outside clothes, and you could only look at him in confusion. </p>
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  <p><em>“Oh I am sorry”, </em>he said, as he greeted you with a good morning kiss, <em>“did I wake you?” “No... I just woke up all by myself and I was looking for you... I didn’t know you were going outside.” </em>“I’m sorry, I had to prepare for something.” He took off his coat, draping it over his arm and taking it with him as he started walking towards the kitchen. “Breakfast?”</p>
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  <p>You nodded. <em>“Preparing for something?”</em> A small smile appeared on his lips. <em>“Yes”.  </em> He didn’t elaborate further, not even after you nudged his arm, encouraging him to speak more, and just started preparing breakfast.  <em>“Mihawk?” “Yes, dear?” </em> His tone was so normal and nonchalant that you were almost ready to break an egg on his hat, seeing a mischievous glint in his eyes that he almost never had. </p>
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  <p><em>“What are you hiding?”  “Nothing much” “So something”  “Patience. After breakfast.”  Yo</em>u could only groan in response, and continued making breakfast as fast as possible, afterward nearly inhaling the result, much to Mihawk’s amusement who was taking his sweet time eating.  “No use in rushing, we’ll be too early like that.”  Now you were really confused. Just what was he planning? </p>
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  <p>Your questions were finally answered when he told you to take your coat after breakfast. You were going on a little trip. The destination still a secret, and you figured that there was no use in guessing. You were already kind of excited. You got to go off the island for a bit, and it had been a good amount of time since you went on any kind of trip with Mihawk. He said it was only a day trip, so you figured that you’d know soon enough where you were going. </p>
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  <p>The trip itself was rather uneventful. Mihawk’s coffin-shaped boat was really not built for two people, but ever since the two of you had started dating seriously, Mihawk had it modified so you could have a comfortable seat as well, although you generally preferred to just sit close to him. The sea was dark and a little rough in the immediate vicinity of the island, but after a while, you noticed you were entering calmer waters, the grey clouds and sky slowly transforming into white puffy clouds in a bright blue sky, with a sun that made your skin tingle a little bit and was reflected by the water, as if someone had sprinkled the smallest diamonds all over the sea. </p>
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  <p>At that point, it didn’t really matter anymore where you were going, you were already so happy to experience the sun and the blue sky as a true part of summer, looking around you and seeing some fish swim in the incredibly clear water around the boat, not even noticing how Mihawk was watching your almost childlike enthusiasm and amazement with a small smile on his face. </p>
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  <p>“We’re almost there” You looked up, surprised at the sudden sound of your husband’s voice interrupting the soothing sounds of the waves and the seagulls high above you.  In the distance, you could see a small island, and for a little while, you weren’t sure if you were still so far away that it seemed extremely small and inhabited, or if it was just really that small. </p>
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  <p>The answer was the latter. The beach was only a few feet far before the sand already transformed into the darker ground of a forest floor. The trees were completely different from the ones you saw daily on Kuraigana, all shades of green on top of all shades of brown, flashes of colorful birds singing various songs on the branches. Your mouth was wide open in amazement. You hadn’t even properly walked around and this island was already more beautiful than any other place you had visited before. </p>
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  <p>After securing the boat, Mihawk wrapped an arm around your waist, gently guiding you through the forest. Neither of you said a word. You were too busy admiring the sights and taking in the fresh air, the sounds of the animals and enjoying the feeling of the sun on your skin wherever it managed to find it’s way through the tree foliage, and Mihawk was just relaxing, enjoying your little sounds of surprise and enthusiastic gasps. </p>
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  <p>After a little while of walking, you started to wonder whether you were just exploring the island or if Mihawk had an actual goal in mind, he seemed just a little too determined to go in certain directions, and you had no problem just following him wherever he guided you, after all, you assumed he knew this place, and the forest seemed so undisturbed there was no clear path anyway. Your suspicions of a goal were confirmed as you suddenly felt the sun hit your eyes as you reached an open space, you assumed somewhere in the middle of the forest. </p>
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  <p>You closed your eyes for a bit, and opened them slowly, letting them adjust to the harsh summer light after walking in the cool shade of the threes. Then you had to slowly blink, at least five times, to really believe what you were seeing: a small field of flowers of all kinds of colors and shapes. Familiar flowers that you recognized from home, but also colorful exotic species that you had never seen before. High grass, a sea of green, with spots of yellow, red, blue, purple, pink, orange, you name it. Butterflies and bees as well as tiny birds flying around.. the sight was just breathtaking, you actually slapped your own face gently to snap yourself out of your almost trance-like state. You heard your husband chuckle next to you. </p>
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  <p>“Was this what you had in mind when you wished for a more summery sight?”  You couldn’t even form the words in your brain for what you wanted to say, nodding frantically in response, forgetting all gentle manners and flying around his neck, causing him to almost stumble and wrap his arms around you tightly to make sure the two of you fell onto the ground. He could make out a muffled ‘thank you’ with your face pressed against his shoulder and lovingly pat your back in response.  </p>
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  <p>After you let go, you gave him a quick kiss on the lips before returning your focus on the wonderful flower field behind you. He found a nice spot in the shade, and sat down with a book he had brought along, while you walked around the field, picking some of the flowers and making a flower crown out of them, some of your fondest childhood memories coming back as your hands skillfully braided the flower stems. You watched the butterflies, giggling as one landed on your hand for a bit, and determined which flower smelled the sweetest. You picked some more and formed a nice bouquet to take home, it would look lovely on the dinner table. </p>
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  <p>It was almost getting dark when you heard Mihawk closing his book, calling your name to return home. You felt sad you had to leave, but you were also getting a little hungry, and going back home in complete darkness wasn’t ideal either. Flower crown on your head and bouquet in hand, you walked back to your husband and placed a kiss on his cheek as he wrapped his arm around your waist again.  <em>“Thank you so much... It was nice to experience some summer.”  “If you ever have something like that bothering you again, you just have to tell me y/n...”  “Don’t worry... I will” </em></p>
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  <p>The trip back was just as uneventful as the way to the island, and you felt your heart sink a little bit at seeing Kuraigana again. Looking at the bouquet in your hands made you feel better though, and you promised yourself that even if after those flowers withered, you’d keep the memories of today in your heart forever. </p>
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  <p>The moment you actually arrived home, you immediately grabbed a nice vase to place the flowers in and set them on the dinner table, smiling at how well they fitted in and yet made the room just a little bit more summery. You noticed Mihawk grabbing some very thick books and setting them on a separate table as you grabbed ingredients to start making dinner.  <em>“What are you doing dear?”</em> you set the ingredients down and walked over to him. He lifted one of the books so you could see. One of the exotic flowers from the island was being flattened by the weight of the books, perfectly laid down to not be smushed, so it could dry beautifully.  You couldn’t help but smile widely. “You picked flowers?”  <em>“A few, to remember the trip by. We can go back more often, but the flowers only bloom for a short amount of time. That’s what I had to look up yesterday.” </em> You hummed in response as he continued to explain.  <em>“So I figured we could bring a little summer to this grey island for you, and make sure it doesn’t die,</em>” he continued, gesturing at the flowers you had set on the table. You looked over at the piles of books.  <em>“Just how many did you bring?”  “Eight, one for each year...”  “... we’ve been married” yo</em>u added with a smile. With his usual cold demeanor, you’d nearly forget how romantic this man could be. You leaned in to kiss him slowly and turned back to your ingredients after. </p>
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  <p>
    <em>“I’ll make us a special dinner, in celebration of an actual summer together.” </em>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Sandcastles - Shanks X Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This one is a little different, because I am a SUCKER for domestic fluff and I just really needed to make this happen, cause well, I am allowed to write something self-indulgent every once in a while UwU. Enjoy some actual dad Shanks! </p><p>Prompt: Sandcastles - Character: Shanks - Word count: 1.5K </p><p>modern AU. 2nd person. female reader. Some swearing and some sliiiiggghtt suggestive themes if you squint a little. Very fluffy and domestic otherwise and very much still SFW!</p>
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  <p>You frustratedly honked the horn multiple times. </p>
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  <p>“Don’t cut me off you ass....absolute.... stupid person." Benn, in the passenger seat, chuckled at your choice of words. After Shanks had accidentally taught your four year old daughter the word 'dickhead', the two of you had decided to keep language in mind whenever your little angel was around. And right now she was in the backseat, counting cars with her dad, as you were trying to advance through traffic, as if everyone had decided that today was a perfect day for a trip to the beach.</p>
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  <p>Shanks and Benn were more often than not busy running their business and days off were rare. But this summer your red-headed husband had made a point out of taking a few days off, leaving the business in the hands of Benn, who now had a very rare day off that he had agreed to spend with your family. Your daughter had been asking to see ‘uncle Benn again’ and since it was summer and super hot, you had decided that a beach day might be the best way to get some stress relief for the two men, and a nice adventure for your toddler.</p>
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  <p>But unfortunately, the whole world had concluded that today was a wonderful day to go to the beach, and thus you were a little stuck in traffic, with the air conditioning not working as you wished it would and the road seemed to be filled with people driving for the very first time. It was frustrating you to no end, and Benn’s well-intended advice on where to drive or what to look out for was not received as well as it would be if you were more relaxed. </p>
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  <p>One glance in your rear mirror made everything better: your daughter giggling in her car seat, excitedly pointing out things and telling her dad about all the things she sees, with Shanks replying to all her stories in pure amazement, asking questions and just generally making your daughter feel like she was being the world’s best storyteller right now and it just melted your heart. </p>
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  <p>After plenty of childproofed curses, aggressive honking and some more unnecessary advice from Benn you finally had made your way to the beach, and picking a spot close enough to the water that you could keep an eye on whoever stayed with your stuff, but not too close so you wouldn’t have to move too far when flow tide came around. </p>
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  <p>You whipped out the sunscreen, putting a generous amount on your daughter’s arms, legs, shoulders and face before rubbing some on yourself and handing it over to your husband who just shot you some puppy eyes.  <em>“y/n, my love, you know it gets a little difficult to reach my right side like this?” </em>You chuckled at him, knowing after years without his left arm your husband was perfectly capable of applying sunscreen everywhere but his back, but he was just using it as an excuse to get a little massage from you. And who were you to say no?</p>
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  <p>‘Uncle’ Benn was already walking towards the sea with your daughter, excellent at reading the room, and left you for your little bit of quality time. You faked a deep sigh and rolled your eyes, but that went completely ignored or unnoticed by your other half, who was too busy enthusiastically already pulling his shirt over his head. You couldn’t keep the fake annoyed face any longer and laughed as you ordered him to lay down on the towel for a bit.</p>
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  <p><em>“Usually it’s the men giving the ladies a nice massage”</em>, you joked as you squirted some cold sunscreen on his back, making him flinch a little bit at the sudden coldness.  <em>“I never said I’d not give you one.”</em> He relaxed the moment your hands started working the product into his skin.  <em>“hmmmmm, I’ll keep you to that then”</em> you chuckled. He was just about to retort with something that would probably be one of his trademark suggestive comments when two tiny -and very sandy- hands came to assist yours in rubbing the sunscreen on. Benn didn’t even look sorry as he said your daughter saw dad laying down and wanted to help get him up. You laughed even harder, at Benn, at your lovely darling who was now giving her father an unnecessary back scrub and the man in question, who was for sure pouting that his dirty talk would have to wait for a later hour. </p>
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  <p>Benn watched your stuff, smoking and reading a nice book he brought along as the two of you too your daughter into the water, Shanks hellbent on teaching her to float already -”<em>never too early to learn how to swim</em>”- and your daughter giggling like crazy cause she was a natural, and the hand helping her float was mostly tickling her. </p>
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  <p>After some time in the water, you went on to collect seashells, keeping the most pretty ones to spend a rainy day crafting something out of them. You had to physically stop your daughter from overfilling the bucket and nearly adding a jellyfish to it. You picked her up before she could grab the potentially stingy creature, which triggered some tears of course, like any toddler would cry for you not allowing them to hurt themselves, but the crisis was averted quickly by your husband and some ice cream. She nearly forgot about the bucket all together, and the three of you made your way back to your stuff for another round of sunscreen and dropping off the bucket when you noticed Benn was fast asleep, book on his face, probably to protect him from the sun. </p>
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  <p>It was quite the funny sight, but you actually felt a little bad for him, he was probably beyond tired from overworking so much in Shanks’ absence. You quietly put your stuff down and led your daughter somewhere a little further so she could play without disturbing uncle Benn’s sleep.  “Let’s try and make a sandcastle okay?” </p>
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  <p>You and your daughter spent more than an hour perfecting the sandcastle, Shanks watching with a grin on his face how you painstakingly tried to carve small windows in the towers, only for your daughter to try and help and accidentally reduce the tower to a formless pile of sand again. After about the third attempt, you were getting a little frustrated behind the encouraging smile you were flashing your daughter, and Shanks decided to come to your aid. He motioned your daughter over and started whispering something in her ear. The way she so eagerly nodded made you suspicious immediately. </p>
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  <p>
    <em>“Yes! Special Sandcastle!!”  </em>
  </p>
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  <p>You narrowed your eyes at your husband, who just innocently told you you could finish the fancy castle in peace while the two of them would make an easy yet special castle. Of course, you were more interested in whatever that meant and followed them as they made their way back to where Benn was still comfortably snoozing. Shanks motioned for both of you to be very very quiet as he started piling sand on Benn’s legs. He must’ve been completely out of it, because he didn’t wake up. Your daughter started immediately helping, you’d almost never seen her so quietly playing, and you weren’t sure whether you should be scolding your child and manchild of a husband, or laugh quietly and help them out. You opted for the latter, but not before whispering to your favorite redhead that he’d take the blame when Benn woke up. </p>
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  <p>
    <em>“Only if you give me another one of those massages tonight”. </em>
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  <p>He cut you off with a kiss before you could even protest or say something about using such a tone in front of your daughter. You decided to ditch the conversation and focus on burying Benn. </p>
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  <p>The three of you had reached his shoulders in the making of your ‘extra special sandcastle’ when the soft snoring stopped coming from under the book, and your eyes widened.  <em>“I swear to god, if this was your idea Shanks...”  “Yes! Daddy wanted to make an extra special Sandcastle!” </em></p>
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  <p>You laughed, sitting back a little so you could deny involvement and gently removing the book from Benn’s face who was in between an angry glare and an amused grin, the latter mostly put on to not worry your daughter. </p>
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  <p><em>“Uncle Benn is my favorite Sandcastle” “How about you help me get out of the sandcastle and then we can completely bury Daddy?” </em>Your daughter nodded eagerly at ‘her favorite sandcastle’ who was already getting up and dusting the sand off of his form, and you saw Shanks get up in order to run away.  <em>“Wanna help y/n?”</em> Benn said as he picked up your daughter, ready to run after Shanks.  <em>“Ehhh... I think I’m sitting this one out, someone’s gotta watch our stuff after all” </em>You giggled as they ran off. </p>
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  <p>You grabbed the book Benn was reading earlier and made yourself comfortable, grinning as you listened to the playful shouts that weren’t entirely acted from the members of your little family. A day to the beach had been a good idea. </p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Carnival Adventures - Law x reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some pure fluff because this gremlin has been suffering too much already! <br/>Prompt: Carnival - Character: Law - Word count: 1.3k</p>
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    <p>Law was always busy. Working on plans, training, gaining medical knowledge. Testing the limits of his devil fruit abilities. Reading newspapers. Keeping up with the state of the world and the politics. Rarely ever spending time on himself, hell, the man rarely ever even slept. </p><p>It had gotten better after the two of you became a couple, but still, actual dates were nearly nonexistent and while he regularly made sure that you could spend time together, cuddle and even went to bed more often, even if he couldn’t sleep just to be in your presence, it was still not really dating. You were grateful for whatever moment you could spend with your boyfriend though, and enjoyed every second spent in his presence. </p><p>The crew also wanted to spend some more time with their captain. Eating together was nice whenever it happened, and just hanging out on deck whenever the Polar Tang made its way to the surface. Parties were an excellent opportunity to have fun and mingle too, but not a very frequent occurrence, most of the things done together were very mundane, like a little uniform-wearing family.</p><p>So when you all docked on an island in order to stock up on food, herbs, and other supplies, and Bepo noticed a Ferris wheel in the distance, plans to stay on the island just a little longer than planned so you could go to the carnival were made really fast. Law was reluctant but figured that the crew could use a moment of fun and fewer worries to let off some steam. You had been in dangerous waters most of the time lately after all, and a group activity could be nice for the morale on board.</p><p>
  <em>“Okay, okay, I guess you can go to the carnival for one night.” </em>
</p><p>Cheers ensued from the crew. </p><p><em>“Oi, Captain grumpy pants”, </em> you playfully elbowed your boyfriend, <em>“you are coming along too. You could use some distracting from all the gears turning in that beautiful head of yours”. </em><br/>Law rolled his eyes at you. <br/><em>“I wasn’t planning on-” </em><br/>You interrupted him before he could even finish his sentence. <br/><em>“We don’t even have to stick close to the crew the entire evening. A date. You and me.” </em>You put on your sweetest puppy-eyes. <em>“Pleeeeeeeeeassseeee? Pretty pretty please? with no bread on top”. </em></p><p>Law couldn’t help but smile a little at your ridiculous antics. “Fine. An actual date.” You knew his sarcastic tone was just playful, he was secretly just as happy as you were to get some time off and actually have a proper date. It wasn’t exactly the most romantic setting, but honestly, It could definitely be worse. </p><p>The crew finished up all the chores for the day at an exceptional speed, working together even better to get all the supplies necessary and carry them back to the Polar Tang, before storing them away in their respective places. Turns out that a carnival was an excellent motivation and you were sure to tease Law later on with the tiniest smile he had on his face while overlooking his crew. So proud of this dumb little family of his. </p><p>The moment everything was in order, the crew got the okay from Law and made their way to the carnival. You grabbed Law’s hand, intertwining your fingers with his, and started walking after them, leaning on your boyfriend as you walked around the fair, taking in the sights and smells of the various food stands, attractions and other things to do. </p><p>Law seemed visibly more relaxed than he had been in days, and you decided to make good use of that, the atmosphere, and the rest of the crew to drag him into some of the attractions, if only for you to just have an excuse to hold him close. </p><p>The madhouse was your first stop, loads of tumbling and nearly tripping and falling, usually prevented by you clinging onto Law for dear life.<em> “y/n, are you doing this on purpose or have you gotten two left feet lately?” <br/>“Shut up Law I like holding you okay?”</em><br/>Getting out of the attraction was a little harder, Bepo wanted to come along and got stuck somewhere near the end. Turns out, these things were not made polar bear sized. </p><p>The actual haunted house was hilarious, mostly because Law deadpan kept giving remarks on how not-scary everything was, and more importantly, how anatomically incorrect all the intestine decorations were. You left the attraction in tears, not from fear as the person at the ticket boot teased you with, but from sheer laughter. </p><p>You sampled some of the snacks, you and Law helping Bepo unstick cotton candy from his fur after he had bitten in an extremely big piece rather roughly, while Penguin, Sachi, and Ikkaku got even more snacks for you and the rest of the crew to sample. </p><p>With full stomachs, you decided that the rougher rides may not be the best thing to go on now -although a part of the crew ensured you that they could take it, after all, what could be worse than the sea?- So you split up for a bit. Most stayed behind to go on the ride anyway, some wanted to go for a Bepo-less round in the madhouse again, and you were currently leading Law towards the Ferris Wheel. </p><p><em>“Seriously y/n?” <br/>“Awe come on, a little romance never hurt anyone. Besides,”</em> you looked over your shoulder, <em>“it’s not like we can do much with the possibility of them staring at us the whole ride” </em>you giggled at the small tag team of Bepo, Sachi and Penguin that had decided to follow you two, to see where you were going. So now all of you were standing in line for the Ferris wheel, you made them promise to at least leave you and Law to your own cabin. </p><p>There were some teasing words, but with a quick glare from Law, all in good humor, they did agree to just leave you two to the actual date part of this date. You knew not to expect too much of it, Law is not the most romantic person after all and there is only so much of a kiss one can share while feeling eyes looking in your direction most of the time, but you are more than happy to just lean on him, still holding hands, stealing pecks and nuzzling his neck as the cabin slowly gains height. </p><p>At the very top, you create just the smallest bit of distance between the two of you, just so you can observe the beautiful sights underneath you. You even spot the polar tang in the distance, giggling as you point it out to Law, who nods but barely even looks, too preoccupied with keeping his eyes on you, how happy you look, and how happy that makes him. He even glances over at the three in the next cabin over, and can’t help but realize just how lucky he is to have found this little family, and it takes him some effort to not stop and wonder if Cora-san can see, and if he’d be proud of him. </p><p>His thoughts are interrupted by a light shock going through the machine, as you start your descend, you sitting down again with him.<br/><em>“Did you at least enjoy yourself a little bit Captain grumpy?”</em> you ask with a smile before pressing your lips to his cheek.<br/><em>“What do you even mean y/n? I always enjoy myself whenever I’m with you.” </em><br/>Before you can even retort with something smart as a reply, he pulls you in for a proper kiss, effectively shutting you up, and you eagerly respond, neither of you noticing that the cabin has stopped moving again for a while. </p><p>
  <em>“ehm. Ma’am, Sir, if you’d... step out, please? There are other people waiting” </em>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Fireworks - Kid x Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: Fireworks - Character: Kid - Word count: 1.5k<br/>After an argument, Kid makes up to you in his own special way.</p>
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      <em>“But there’s gonna be fireworks!” “I don’t care if even the goddamn king of the pirates was there himself, we cannot make this stop y/n. And we will not make it. Period. Now get the fuck out, don’t you have something better to do than nag my head off?” </em>
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  <p>You felt your bottom lip quiver as you wordlessly left Kid’s workshop. After over a year of being together with him, you should’ve known better than to barge into his workshop after he was already in a bad mood. Some petty fight at breakfast that did not even involve you had made him slam doors and retreat to his little safe space on board. The only ones that could come in when he was in such a mood, were Killer and you. </p>
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  <p>You had gone in with the intention to de-escalate, calm him down a little, and that worked out pretty well until you had used the wrong tactic. You had proposed docking at a nearby island. The newspaper had announced there would be a big fireworks show for some kind of holiday, and you really wanted to go, disguising your ask as a proposal to blow off some steam and do something ‘fun’ with the crew.</p>
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  <p>Kid had immediately said no, saying that the crew did not deserve any break for their poor performances last stop and that it was only a week since you left that last island. There was no reason to stop, you still had plenty of supplies. Changing course and stopping needlessly was just messing with his plans and he would have none of that. You kept on pressing on, and it became increasingly clear that you really just wanted to do something with him, but for some reason that had set him off even more. Yelling ensued, and eventually, he had kicked you out of the workplace, leaving you to stand outside the door, fighting back tears. </p>
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  <p>It was not like you guys barely fought. With a boyfriend with such explosive temper, fights were inevitable, and you were usually quite good at defusing the situation or letting off steam by engaging in a good old shouting match until Killer came along the tell you both to quit it. </p>
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  <p>You were just so disheartened right now, it could’ve been such a great opportunity to hang out with your boyfriend, maybe scare away some unsuspecting civilians. He liked blowing things up occasionally, and you had wrongfully connected that to maybe him liking fireworks. And maybe he did like them, but just didn’t want to hang out with you for now. That last option made you feel even worse. </p>
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  <p>You walked back to your cabin, the crew passing you on the way knowing better than to disturb you after a fight with Kid. The big difference now was that you weren’t even angry. You were just sad. You were not one to get overly emotional, Kid hated it when you cried, and not for the reason most boyfriends would hate seeing their girl cry, he just thought it annoying. So you locked yourself up in your room for a couple of hours, cried your heart out and you were back on your way. </p>
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  <p>A good cry cleansed your body and soul, and even though the situation was far from fixed, you could at least find some energy to last until the next time you saw Kid. You weren’t really sure how to feel about the whole relationship as of now, but you would try to talk it out. After all, it’s not like you didn’t know you started a relationship with possibly the most difficult man on sea. </p>
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  <p>He did not show up for dinner, and when Killer offered to go bring him a plate on your behalf, you thanked him, but proposed you’d do it yourself. You wanted to talk it out. You were not really sure what you wanted to accomplish by talking, but you really just wanted something. Let him know that you did not want to nag him, but also let him know you wanted to do something, anything together. </p>
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  <p>You knocked on the door to announce your entrance, and then came in, carefully carrying the plate so no food would be spilled.  <em>“Have you come to nag again?” </em>Kid didn’t even turn to face you, too busy tinkering with whatever mechanics you did not understand to begin with.  <em>“No, I just...”</em>, you put the plate down next to him, in a spot where none of his supplies were, “<em>I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have pushed you... but babe, it’s been weeks since we did something fun. I get that you don’t want to please the crew for what they pulled on the last island... but I’m not just a crew member. I am also your girlfriend and I’d love for you to spend some time with me. And looking at some stupid fireworks was my plan. But anything goes really. I shouldn’t have hidden it under some crew bonding. I just want it to be you and me.” </em></p>
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  <p>He stood up from his workbench, towering over you, you stepped back a little, just cause you had been standing so close behind him to start with.  <em>“You should’ve told me so doll”  “I know I know....” </em>You sighed deeply. <em>“We’re still not going to that stupid island. It’s too late anyway.” </em> You nodded.  <em>“But I guess if you find some other dumb activity to do for us, you can tell me. None of that sappy family-crew-bonding bullshit okay? If you want a date, you tell me.” </em> You smiled in response, giving him a quick peck on the lips to say goodbye, so he could eat and focus on his project again.  <em>“Maybe we can get some stargazing done? Not tonight, but just... some night. No crew needed, no stops on a strange islands, just you and I and the sky, and nothing else special</em>.”   He grunted in response, which you took as a yes, and you walked out of the workshop, a weight of your shoulders now that was resolved. </p>
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  <p>That night you were sleeping alone, not cause Kid was still mad, but it actually happened quite often that once he got busy in his workshop, and worked there all night, or at least most of the night. You were used to it, knowing you would wake up in his arms anyway. You were about to drift away when you heard the familiar footsteps in the hallway leading up to his cabin. </p>
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  <p>You shifted a little, making yourself more comfortable, preparing for some lazy cuddles. Usually, Kid was pretty quiet - or at least attempted to be quiet when he noticed you were already sleeping -, so you nearly jumped when he slammed open the door and called out your name.  <em>“Kid, what the fuck?”  “Come out, stargazing”  </em>You were confused, sleepy and a little pissed at the sudden wake-up call, not even registering what he said.  <em>“Stargazing?” “Yes, dumbass, that’s what you wanted right? The sky is clear now, bring the blanket. It’s a little cold and I don’t want you nagging for my coat.” </em></p>
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  <p>You crawled out of the bed, blanket wrapped around you and followed Kid through the hallways onto the deck of the Victoria Punk. He sat you down on a certain spot, mumbling something about it being the best view and you looked up. There were actually not that many stars visible and you frowned a little.  <em>“Kid... are you sure this is the best time to-”  “Just shut up for a second y/n”  </em>He didn’t sound angry or agitated and you did as he said as he sat next to you and wrapped an arm around you.  </p>
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      <strong>BANG. </strong>
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  <p>You jumped, Kid chuckled. Before you could ask him what the fuck that sudden explosion was, you noticed a sea of sparkles lighting up the sky and you stared at them, mouth wide open with amazement. The first explosion was followed by man others, fireworks lighting up the sky in all kinds of different colors, formations, even some shapes. You were completely stunned by the view, seeing your boyfriend grin from the corner of your eye.  <em> “Is this what you had in mind?”  </em>You couldn’t help but smile like an idiot.  <em>“It’s even better. These are beautiful”</em> You leaned up to kiss him, and cuddled even closer, pulling back and focusing on the beautiful fireworks again. They kept on coming, he must’ve spent nearly all day on it. That very idea warmed your heart. He probably was working on them as you went to bring him his dinner. It was his way of saying sorry, without actually saying it out loud.  <em>“Hey captain?” </em> He looked at you skeptically, as he always did when you used that nickname outside of the bedroom. You liked using it here and there just to keep him on his toes. <em>“I love you”</em> He grinned proudly in response, pulling you in for another, longer and deeper kiss, pouring in the love from his side, fireworks still going of in the background. This was so much more intimate, so much better than any festival you could imagine. </p>
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  <p>He could definitely be a handful, but you wouldn’t trade him for anyone. He cared in his own special way, and for you, that was more than enough. </p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Special Donuts - Katakuri x Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: Ice Cream - Character: Charlotte Katakuri  - Word count: 1.1k</p>
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    <p>It was hot. It was so incredibly hot. You wore your lightest dresses, the lightest fabrics and carried around a fan wherever you went, but at this point, you were practically ready to just go live in the sea. You were positively baking. And you could not believe for the life of you, how your husband was not melting yet in his big fluffy scarf</p><p> </p><p>It had taken him months to reveal to you what was hidden under his scarf, after weeks of careful prying and reassuring him that whatever it was, he was never going to be a monster in your eyes, as he had described himself to you. As of now, he was comfortable showing his face, even eating around you and the way you could share intimate moments together had greatly improved after you had gotten rid of his biggest insecurity. </p><p>But that was only behind closed walls. Outside, for his sibling’s sake and for yours, Katakuri still wore his scarf to hide his mouth and fangs. Even now, when summer seemed to get it’s own summer and record temperatures were broken every single day. Living in a country filled with candy didn’t help at all. Everything was sticky, and the while the heat made the air already heavy and moist, the added sweetness made it seem as if you were constantly drenched in syrup and you honestly wanted to shower 20 times a day to feel better. </p><p>It was pretty obvious, to you at least, that Katakuri was uncomfortable as well. He had canceled some training, using excuses that included you to not make the family pry as well. You gladly played along. If you could just stay inside your house, the two of you could feel a little better, and maybe hold hands while sitting in front of a fan (too hot for cuddles). </p><p>But of course, there were plenty of meetings, training sessions, and tea parties where Katakuri’s presence was required. And every single time he came home after such an event, you were waiting for him, a fresh plate of donuts in hand, a change of clothes that was not the heavy leather outfit he preferred wearing outside and some ice cold ice tea, anything to cool him down and make him feel better. It was not the most ideal situation, but Katakuri, in very little words, made sure to let you know how much he appreciated the efforts you put in.</p><p>This week was exceptionally warm and exceptionally busy at the same time. You had not been able to provide for your husband the way you wanted, mostly because he was out the door before you could even wake up, and returned way too late, not only did you hardly have time to spend together, you noticed him getting more and more uncomfortable every single day. So you decided to work on a plan to help him, if even a little. </p><p>You contacted Brulee trough the biggest mirror in your house, asking her to take you to Ice Island. Out of all siblings, mostly due to her powers, you’d been having the most contact with Brulee and she responded in no time, eager to help you, and by helping you, also helping her older brother. You selected some of the finest ice creams to take home and started working on your little plan. </p><p>Stashing the Ice cream away in the freezer, you started making donut batter. It was one of the first recipes you perfected after you got married to Katakuri, desperately trying to win him over (and trying to get him to show you his face). It had been succesful, after weeks of trying and probing, and now your donuts were his absolute favorite. He even preferred them over those the chefs made for him, maybe even more so because yours had become a rare treat with him being busy. </p><p>You had a second of regret while you were frying the donuts, fanning yourself with a piece of paper because it was just so hot. But then you remembered Katakuri, training in the heat with a full on scarf to cover up his face, and that gave you renewed energy to finalize your special donuts as they cooled down enough. You put them all in a basket, and called upon Brulee one more time. That was the fastest way to get the sugary goods to Katakuri in time for his merienda. </p><p>You arrived just in time, seeing as he was already making his small mochi house to eat his snacks in. There were no chefs to be seen and you could notice him getting a little agitated. You had instructed them not to bring him anything, so you could be sure that this snack time he could cool down with your special treat. When he noticed you approaching, he tilted his head slightly, confused as to why you would be the one bringing him his tea time snack. </p><p><em>“Y/n? Why are you here?”</em><br/>You held up the basket with your little creations. <em>“surprise! You’ve been working so hard and so much even in this hot summer weather, so I thought I’d bring you a treat to make it a little easier?” </em><br/>You couldn’t see it but you were sure he was smiling under his scarf.<br/><em>“Do you want to join me for my merienda?”</em><br/>You smiled widely and nodded eagerly, knowing that this was a privilege only meant for you. So you joined him in the little mochi room, letting him get comfortable first, then sitting next to him and handing him the first of the donuts.<br/><em>“Now I know you like to eat them in a few bites, but you’ll have to be a little bit more careful with these ones.”</em><br/><em>“They’re very cold”</em><br/><em>“I filled them with ice cream! So you can cool down a little in this absolute hell weather”</em><br/>He took a careful bite, and you could see his eyes lighting up with excitement. The way he looked at you before he even finished the first donut made your heart melt. </p><p><em>“Do you like them?”</em><br/><em>“They’re absolutely perfect”</em><br/>He happily hummed as he finished the basket of donuts as slowly as he could, wanting to savor the taste for as long as possible, and enjoying your company while you were there as well. You had made two smaller donuts for yourself to enjoy as well so you could cool down and just have this break together. </p><p>It was quiet for a bit after all the donuts were finished and you could see just how reluctant he was to get up and resume his training. You placed a soft kiss on his cheek. <em>“Go on... I’ll be waiting for you at home.” </em><br/>He gave you a small smile, a rare sight that was for your eyes only as he sat up and put on his scarf again, not before very carefully kissing the top of your head.<br/><em>“Thank you. I don’t know what I did to deserve a wife that’s sweeter than the sweetest donutsprinkle” </em><br/>You blushed. <em>“I love you too... Now go train” </em></p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Heat - Lucci x Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>How to cool off a feral cat By y/n.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Lucci for me personally is a huge challenge to write for, but as we’re nearing the end of the challenge I’m getting more confident in my writing skills. Who knows, maybe this one is not completely disastrous! It’s got a tiny bit of a crack fic vibe, and it may be a litlle out of character? I am sorry. Lucci’s DF is still kind of funny to me. Mreow. Enjoy~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
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    <p>There was a heatwave in town. It was predicted, and yet no one could have predicted just how hot it was going to be. If you looked in the distance, your visions got distorted by sheer heatwaves. The moment skin was exposed to the sun any longer than a few seconds, it was already glistening with sweat. You didn’t think it had ever been so hot before. It was absolute torture. </p>
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    <p>Your boyfriend did not handle the heat very well. And that was an understatement. He was downright suffering. It would be funny if it didn’t make him completely pissed off. He was never one to actually nag or complain about such trivial things, having faced worse conditions on his job, and yet. </p>
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    <p>He was sitting on the couch, shirt open a little too much to be decent -not that he cared about being decent within the walls of his own house-, slightly slouched, which was very uncharacteristic, he usually sat with great posture, just like he walked around with excellent posture. You felt bad for him. He was clearly feeling uncomfortable, but there was only so much you could do.</p>
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  <p>He got extra snappy, and showering him with love would not help at all. Too sticky to get actually intimate. He'd just literally push you away. There was very little you could do and you didn’t want to bother him too much, not wanting to get snapped at. </p>
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  <p>“Is there anything I can do at all?” You had shot him some concerned looks, and he just tilted his hair back, running his hand through his long hair, definitely another factor contributing to his current overheated state. He shook his head.  “Just leave me alone for a bit?” he sounded annoyed and you just nodded. </p>
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  <p>You got to just doing your chores, wrecking your brain on how to provide him some kind of relief without making the situation worse. Days off together were already rare enough as it was, and you wanted to make the most of it. You figured he was probably bothered even more so just because he was annoyed that a day off brought such discomfort. </p>
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  <p>As you were dusting some bookshelves, a particular book caught your eye. Could it be...? </p>
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  <p>It was a book on how to take care of cats. It had been a gag gift to Lucci a few years ago, he had not really appreciated initially, but when you finally moved in together, he had brought it along, which at the very least meant he had kept it all that time. </p>
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  <p>You flipped through the pages. Your boyfriend’s zoan power was more than that of an ordinary house cat, but big cats were still cats right? He absolutely hated it when you pointed out small mannerisms he had in common with the animals, but you thought it was extremely endearing. And at this point you were desperate to find something that might help. </p>
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  <p>10 minutes later you stood in front of him, hair brush, bucket of water and towels as your weapons of choice. Lucci sat up, half opening his eyes to see what you were planning to do.  <em>“What’s that for?” “For you.” </em>He opened his eyes only to narrow them again, a frown apparent on his tired face.  <em>“For me?”</em> he sounded highly skeptical, but there was also an unmistakable hint of amusement in his voice, one corner of his lips tugging upward even though the frown was still present on his face. You sat down next to him on the couch. </p>
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  <p><em>“Turn a little, so your back is turned to me.” </em> It was not often that you could boss him around, he usually didn’t take any commands from you, but for now he complied. Too hot to argue and who knows, maybe whatever you were about to do did provide some relief? </p>
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  <p>You put your hands on the shoulder part of his fabric, tugging it slightly so it fell down his shoulders and most of his back got exposed to you.  “If you wanted me to undress you should’ve just asked me.” He knew you’d get flustered at such a comment and you decided to try your best to ignore it since he couldn’t see your face anyway and you got to work. </p>
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  <p>You dipped some towels in the bucket with cold water and wrung them out, lifting his hair and placing the cold, wet towel on his neck. He inhaled sharply at the sudden sensation and you could see the muscles in his back tense for a second before he relaxed visibly. With a second towel, you softly stroked his arms, his back, his shoulders. The book had said to gently stroke the fur without soaking it, so you figured a damp cold towel would do the trick. </p>
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  <p>After you had changed the towel on his neck a couple of times and had cooled down his skin enough with countless soft strokes of the towel, you cooled it down with the water once more, and draped it over his shoulders, almost like a cape. So far Lucci had not really moved yet, except the tiniest muscle movement when you had just refreshed a towel and hit his hot skin with fresh coolness. </p>
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  <p>Then you dipped your hands in the water and started gently combing them through his hair. After seeing him take care of his hair you knew better than to dig into those curls with a brush straight ahead. Besides, he seemed to enjoy the feeling of your hands as well. So far, he had yet to say a word and he had not made you stop or anything. The moment your cold hands touched his scalp, you could’ve sworn you heard the softest most quiet throat noise from him, almost like a purr, but you decided against saying something about it, it would probably ruin the mood. </p>
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  <p>You were really enjoying yourself, this was a kind of intimacy that was rare with your boyfriend, in general, intimacy with him was more on the rough side, with him always in complete control. It was nice to hold the reigns, even if it was just for something as soft and innocent as this. </p>
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  <p>His hair was nearly soaked but perfectly cool and detangled by the time you were done. you had refreshed the towel on his back a couple more times, and finished off this routine by going over his back one more time, then standing up and sitting in front of him on the couch and wiping his chest once as well. He was staring intently as you did this, and the moment you looked up and made eye contact as you pulled away the towel to finish up, you got goosebumps all over. </p>
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  <p>He leaned down a little to pull you into a passionate kiss, his way of saying thank you, and a way to make the atmosphere a little more what you’re used to. Heated, now that he had cooled down a bit. Still not enough to continue once he pulled back. You just smiled. </p>
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  <p><em>“There... Are you feeling a bit better?” “Yes. Thank you y/n” “It’s nothing~ Then that book on how to take care of cats got its purpose in the end” y</em>ou giggled, and you realized you mistake as the look in his eyes changed immediately.  <em>“You looked up how to cool off a cat?” </em> You stood up quickly <em>“Well would you look at the time, I ehm... think I gotta make dinner”</em></p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Best Gift - Crocodile x Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: seashells - Character: Sir Crocodile  - Word count:<br/>Tw: pregnancy !! oh and the seashell language is completely made up. <br/>2nd person, female reader.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry this one is late, life has been not too kind to me. But I am determined to finish this challenge up properly and before the deadline! Enjoy reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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    <p>Crocodile was away from home quite often. First-hand check-ups on certain branches of his organization, missions that no one else could be trusted to do, other, miscellaneous business trips, the list of reasons to leave you home alone was quite endless. You knew this from way before the relationship started, from before you got together. You didn’t mind too much, you knew he was strong and that he would always get back to you. But this time was a little different still. </p>
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  <p>You placed a hand on your lower belly, where there was no change yet, but there would soon be. The doctor, highly qualified like anyone on Sir Crocodile’s personnel, had left you with no doubt: you were pregnant.  The fact that your husband was away on a business trip made it a little easier for you to firstly accept the news by yourself. He was so sensitive to every little change in your expressions and mood, he’d have figured it out before you would have the time to tell him. </p>
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  <p>But now your time to think about it and overthink it all was running out. Crocodile could be returning home any day now, or so you had been told. You had done quite a bit of research while trying to figure out how to break the news and had eventually settled on some seashells. It seemed weird at first, but you found a book on the symbolic meanings of the shells, and the ones you had picked out were supposedly meant to bring good luck, signal fatherhood, new beginnings... besides, you loved the way they looked and they seemed the best fitting for a gift to Crocodile. He didn’t like it when you spoiled him with big gifts, that was his job he said, but he did appreciate all the meaningful things you gave him, keeping every single one of them either on his person at all times or in the upper drawer of his desk, close whenever he was working. </p>
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  <p>You were nervous, not sure what to expect. You didn’t expect him to be overjoyed, maybe he’d even be a little angry. But you had already stopped the figuring out who was to blame, and in the month you were by yourself, you had gotten used to the whole idea of motherhood. No matter the outcome of the conversation you were soon about to have, you had made up your mind that you would do whatever necessary to keep the child and give it a life where it could be as happy and healthy as possible. </p>
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  <p>You looked at the little box containing the seashells, set aside your book, and made your way to Crocodile’s office. You’d put the little box on his desk, and then when he returned and asked about it, you would break the news. </p>
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  <p>You had not expected him to sit behind his desk as you opened the door, but there was no mistaking that large frame and the signature smell of his cigars, a habit you hoped he’d lessen a little around you, if he were to react positively to the news. You could feel your heart sink as you had hoped for a little more time to mentally prepare, and all the words you had practiced and wanted to say seemed to have packed their suitcases and moved out of your brain, leaving you standing in the open door frame, immediately informing your husband that indeed, something was wrong. </p>
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  <p>He had meant to surprise you, but wanted to put away his paperwork and such from the mission, before going to seek you out. Now you were there, and he couldn’t help but frown when he called you over to his desk, an awkward silence as you stepped forward, closing the door behind you, and made your way over to him, going around the desk so you were now standing next to him, as he turned to you to face him. You were nervous, but you were not scared. You knew him better than that. He would never hurt you, even if you were to disappoint him with your news. </p>
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  <p><em>“You’re back early”</em> You broke the silence with the most steady voice you could muster. It would have convinced anyone but the one person in front of you.  <em>“I told the servants not to warn you, I wanted it to be a surprise.” </em> You laughed. <em>“well... you did manage to surprise me!”</em> He seemed satisfied, maybe your nervousness did just come from the sudden surprise of seeing him there, while you were obviously on your way to plan something for him. He had already spotted the neatly wrapped up box in your hands. </p>
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  <p><em>“Sorry for startling you and ruining... your surprise?”</em> he blew away a puff of smoke behind him, and eyed the box you were now nearly crushing with your nervous grip. You held it out for him, laughing nervously.  <em>“Let’s do this together, to make it less uncomfortable?”</em> He handed you a similar-sized box, it had been on his desk, but you had been too busy collecting your thoughts to notice it sitting there.  You nodded as you took the box out of his hands, thanked him and then there was a moment of silence as each of you was opening their gift. </p>
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  <p>The moment you laid eyes upon the content of the box, you frowned in confusion. There were numerous beautiful seashells, sharing similar meanings as the one you had given your other half, who let out a low chuckle at the gift in his hands.  <em>“Wait.. you know? Someone told you? Who told you?”</em> You looked up at him in confusion, only to see one eyebrow raise in similar confusion.  <em>“Who told me what? I saw these and they reminded me of you, the lady who sold them told me they were the ideal gift for a long-standing relation.” </em> <em>“Well yeah... “ </em>you responded silently, “<em>they stand for good luck, new beginnings, fertility...and parenthood.</em>” You said, lifting up each of the shells as you named off their qualities. They were absolutely gorgeous and way more sturdy and pretty than the ones you had gotten him. He had gotten silent at your words, them sinking in rather fast. </p>
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  <p><em>“So you’re..”  “yes” </em>you answered before he could even finish his sentence, <em>“I found out a week after you left..” </em> He took another deep inhale from his cigar, holding it in a little longer than he usually would, before blowing out another puff of smoke, again, away from you.  <em>“You’re aware of the possible dangers that come with it?”  Y</em>ou nodded.  <em>“And you know I won’t be able to just drop all this?”</em> he gestured with his hook at the whole room, you knew he meant the whole empire he had built as a warlord.  You nodded again.  “Well, I know where you can stay, I can probably send Miss All Sunday with you for protection...” he was more talking to himself than actually to you and you felt the tears well up in your eyes. That was it, he was going to send you away and this would end the entirety of the relationship. </p>
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  <p>He looked up from his murmuring and thinking only to see you completely devastated.  <em>“I’m sorry”</em> was all you could say before the first few teardrops spilled on your cheeks.  <em>“What are you sorry for?</em>” He reached out his arm, gently pulling you closer, as he noticed you were increasing the physical distance between the two of you.  You followed easily, wanting nothing more than having him close and sobbing in his chest, unable to form words, let alone sentences. Crocodile put one and one together and understood how his thinking out loud might have given you an entirely wrong impression. </p>
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  <p><em>“Love, there’s no way I’ll be keeping you in a house full of assassins and such when you’re at your most vulnerable. The marines are not allowed any funny business because of my current status, but they will definitely not be happy to hear about the news and I wouldn’t want them trying anything. So I’ll be sending you somewhere safe, probably with Miss All Sunday to watch over you, when the time comes where you cannot move comfortably enough to protect yourself, she will do so. And I told you I cannot drop all this,” </em>he gestured again, as you slowly lifted your tearstained face from his chest<em>, “but that doesn’t mean I am dropping you either. I’ll visit you as often as I can, make it another sort of business trip where no one should try to interrupt me... I just want you safe.” </em></p>
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  <p>The wave of relief that washed over you was immense, and you couldn’t help but tear up again. His hooked hand moved behind you, gently holding you close, so he could use his good hands to wipe those tears from your face. <em> “Now before we set that plan in motion, I believe this calls for a celebration.” </em></p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Healthy Habits - Marco x Reader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You have some unhealthy habits. So does Marco. Luckily you have each other. <br/>Prompt: Sunscreen - Character: Marco - Word Count: 940</p>
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    <p>It was a beautiful summer day. Sun was up high in the sky, warm rays making your face tingle in the best possible way, a light summer breeze making the warmth bearable. You wore your nicest light summer clothes, it was a rare day off of any physical chores and you decided to help your boyfriend catch up on some paperwork out on deck in the sun. The breeze was not hard enough to blow any of your papers away, and it would be the ideal way to enjoy an almost day off without getting stuffed indoors. </p><p>A dull thud pulled you out of your focus on the letters and calculations on the paper. A shadow looming over you announced the presence of someone else, and the signature spikes at the head of the shadow made it no surprise that it was Marco standing next to you. You smiled as you looked up. <br/>“Hi, what’s up, thought you were going to be in the infirmary all day?” </p><p><em>“Just thought I’d come up and check up on the love of my life and their unhealthy skin”</em> you rolled your eyes as you noted that the dull thud from before had been a bottle of sunscreen nonchalantly placed next to you on deck.<br/><em>“Really Marco?” <br/>“Yes y/n, did you put anything on already today?” </em><br/>You reluctantly shook your head. <br/><em>“Will you do it for me?”</em> You looked up from your seated position, giving the man your sweetest puppy eyes. Not that you needed that trick, as you were only halfway through your sentence when he sat cross-legged behind you and put some of the sunscreen in his hands. <br/><em>“What would you do without me y/n?” <br/>“Enjoy my life without any of your nagging.” </em></p><p>Marco only chuckled in response as he placed his hands with the cool cream on your shouders and started rubbing it in. You sheddered at the sensation, putting the papers away properly for a bit and relaxed. His hands felt so good rubbing your arms, shoulder and neck and you mad a mental note to remember that sunscreen needs to be reapplied regularly if you want it to take effect, and who better to apply it than then man now sitting behind you, softly huming the tune of a shanty that was frequently sung by the crew at parties. </p><p><em>“You know”, </em>you started, <em>“You’re not really one to talk though, lecturing me about unhealthy habits; The only reason I am out here doing part of your papework is because you insist on doing all of it on top of your first mate duties and division commander duties and then you barely sleep or eat. Great doctor you are.”<br/>“Oi oi oi y/n, I am here using my free time to help the love of my life, and yet here you are criticizing me and my habits”<br/>“Well you came out to comment negatively on mine”<br/>“Force of habit, doctor’s things yoi” <br/>“Well then, doctor, how about this: I return the gesture, rubbing some sunscreen on that nicely sculpted body of yours” </em>- Marco chuckled at your choice of words - <em>“and we tackle some of that work together for the afternoon. We stop in time for dinner, and who knows, maybe we’ll be able to sleep together for more than two hours tonight”. </em></p><p>Marco closed his eyes, pretending to overthink your preposition, but you had already seen the sparkle in his eyes behind his glasses before he had closed them. There was no reason for him to refuse this offer, he had to admit he had been neglecting you more than he should have in favor of work, and this was the ideal solution to get his work done -albeit a little less efficient than he probably would have in his infirmary- and spend some quality time with you. So when he was done ‘thinking’ and rubbing the sunscreen all over your exposed skin, he handed you the bottle and took of his coat, neatly folding it and putting it to the side of the paperwork. You laughed and took a generous amount of the liquid into your hands to rub into his back and chest. Even though you didn’t necessarily think suncreen important, this step of the proces was certainly one you enjoyed. </p><p>The afternoon of doing paperwork together was pure bliss, didn’t even feel like working at all. You sat close to Marco, going over the paperwork, exchanging information, helpful thoughts and plenty of small kisses and other affectionate gestures, not enough to disturb anyone (if you don’t count Ace and Thatch making all kinds of annoying noises in the background to get on your nerves but the warm sun and good company made it so nothing could ruin the atmosphere. </p><p>A little after you saw Thatch retreating to the kitchen to start dinner, and the sun was slowly sinking in the sea, turning the sky all kinds of pink, purple, yellow, orange and red, you carefully took the papers right out of Marco’s hands, and formed a nice stack with them. He was about to protest when you put a single finger over his lips, effectively shutting him up.<br/><em>“No talking. No nagging. No working. Just enjoy the view, enjoy my company and get ready for dinner”. </em><br/>You didn’t even give him a chance to reply, turned around a bit to snuggle into his chest as you watched the sun set in the horizon. </p><p><em>“What would I be without you?” <br/>“An overworked doctor” </em><br/>He chuckled, wrapped an arm around you and pulled you even closer.<br/><em>“I love you y/n” <br/>“I love you too Marco” </em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>that was it folks!! thanks for sticking with me through my 12 weeks of writing and sorry for the delay of this last chapter! Hope you enjoyed these little oneshots with some of our favorite One Piece men! More writings to come very soon &lt;3</p>
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